[Author’s Note: This is the third article in an 11-part series celebrating legendary aid stations. You can read about the series here. Particular thanks go out to Nick Leuck, Hancock Aid Station captain at the High Lonesome 100 Mile, for his contributions to this article.]
From the volunteer information for the Excessive Lonesome 100 Mile: “Ahhhh Hancock … often known as Carnage Metropolis. No place showcases the 100-mile spirit like right here. It’s a gritty spot the place runners are invariably in horrible form, however you’ll by no means see extra dedication than right here. It’s the midway level of the race and a wild trip. It is a crew-accessible support station and is the primary level runners are allowed to choose up pacers.
“For those who’re searching for a real 100-miler support station expertise, that is your spot. Runners are typically combating all the same old issues — consuming, consuming, blisters, fatigue, respiration, and many others. It is a giant support station with a ton of transferring elements. Volunteers must handle parking, crews, pacers, gear checks, meals prep, runner help, medical points, comm[unications] points, and extra.”
The trail main as much as the Hancock Help Station’s spectacular location. All photographs courtesy of Nick Leuck.
The Hancock Help Station sits at 11,100 toes above sea stage, simply earlier than the midway level of the Excessive Lonesome 100 Mile within the Sawatch Vary of Colorado. Runners are simply coming down off america’ Continental Divide after having been working above treeline in considered one of most lovely sections of the course for hours at elevations between 11,000 and 12,200 toes. The help station is about up at a historic city web site. There are historic placards, outdated buildings, and proof of a bygone period dominating the realm. The actual part of path right here is a part of each the Continental Divide Path and the Colorado Path — two iconic lengthy trails within the coronary heart of the Rocky Mountains of the U.S.
Runners attain the help station beginning in late afternoon and increasing into the evening. Many come down deliriously from the elevation to a spectacular sundown. Moose are frequent right here. The help station is among the bigger ones on the course. Runners have already accrued about 15,000 toes of elevation achieve and, due to all this, Hancock is usually often called Carnage Metropolis.
Hancock Help Station captain Nick Leuck notes, “Hancock is a spot the place I’ve seen many runners holding again tears of pleasure from merely seeing a well-recognized face. I’ve seen households right here with a glance of shock on their face as they’re most likely seeing their first 100-mile race. It’s superb!”
For years, the mile-49 support station had a rotating theme, however after the 2024 occasion, which had the theme of “Space 49” — full with aliens, UFOs, and out of physique experiences — Leuck and his workforce have determined to make that the everlasting theme. All of the volunteers are decked out in alien-themed costumes with glow sticks round their necks so crews and runners can simply select somebody to assist them. Final 12 months they even had a youthful member of the family casually driving his bike by means of the realm with E.T. within the entrance basket. The help station additionally offers every runner with a small alien figurine on the gear-check desk for runners to take as protectors/mates by means of the evening.
An alien-themed celebration in full swing as evening falls on the Hancock Help Station.
Leuck has developed a lifetime of recollections as support station captain through the years. “We’re so fortunate and grateful that now we have a improbable pool of individuals to tug volunteers from yearly, individuals who return to our support station 12 months after 12 months. Massive Sean is a giant Viking-looking redhead who loves doing the gear checks. He loves pulling in a quiet volunteer and making them be forceful with the runners and pacers. Now we have those that have labored in kitchens and simply take that over and run with it. It’s additionally enjoyable having volunteers that don’t know what a 100 miler entails and thrusting them into the hearth.”
For Nick Leuck and the remainder of his crew, working the Hancock Help Station is considered one of their favourite instances of the 12 months. “It’s nice. It’s directly a tent-city madhouse, a celebration, a triage tent, and a particular place the place runners who don’t really feel like smiling smile anyway as a result of they see pleasant and acquainted faces.”
Bottoms up!
A volunteer full with glowstick cooking up a storm on the Hancock Help Station.
AJW’s Beer of the Week
This week’s beer of the week comes from Eddyline Brewing in Buena Vista, Colorado. Surfea Mexican Lager is a scrumptious, crispy Mexican lager, with a touch of lime and salt. A basic smooth-drinking lager, Surfea is an ideal beer to get pleasure from on a heat Colorado night in the summertime.
Name for Feedback
Have you ever run the Excessive Lonesome 100 Mile? If that’s the case, inform us your recollections of this support station.
The alien protectors given to every runner as they go away the Hancock Help Station.